US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday insisted the remains of Israeli hostages would be returned from Gaza and defended the Trump administration's peace efforts in the Middle East, calling them "historic and extraordinary."

Speaking at the new Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, Rubio said Washington was doing more than any other nation to ensure the recovery of the hostages’ remains.

He also dismissed any role for the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, in the process, accusing it of becoming "a subsidiary of Hamas.”

Rubio also reiterated that lasting peace depends on ensuring Gaza cannot again be used to threaten Israel.

“If Israel's security is threatened, if 5 years from now, 3 years from now, 2 years from now, Gaza is a place where people who want to destroy Israel are able to operate from with impunity, there's not going to be peace," he said.